Oberto

The first in a planned series of all of Giuseppe Verdi's 26 operas, performed around Parma, near his birthplace, this is a 2007 performance of his 1839 debut, a formulaic romantic triangle about Riccardo, a nobleman who seduces lovely Leonora before casting her aside for Cuniza, who in turn rejects him after learning of his infidelity. Leonora's furious father, Oberto, thereupon challenges Riccardo to a duel and is killed, prompting the conscience-stricken younger man to leave Italy. Rarely performed today, this Oberto features the creative talent of the Teatro Regio di Parma, but was mounted at the tiny Teatro Verdi di Busseto. Since the stage is so small, director Pier'Alli had little choice but to opt for a very static presentation that often feels more like an oratorio with costumes. Nonetheless the orchestra—sounding like a reduced version of the Parma house band—is conducted with vigor and sensitivity by Antonello Allemandi, and the singing is uniformly fine, with the men—Giovanni Battista Parodi as Oberto, and Fabio Sartori as Riccardo—especially strong, although Mariana Pentcheva's Cuniza isn't far behind. Presented in DTS 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include an introduction to the opera. Fairly evenly matched with the 2007 performance of Oberto in Bilbao (VL-1/08), this is recommended, especially for those who don't own the earlier release. (F. Swietek)